The inability to do this between the hard-right literalist and the liberationist theologians creates a dissonance in the language that starts small but echoes out into larger and larger rifts. Part of the reason Matthew Vines has found such success is that he can easily and quickly speak the evangelical language and can be trusted to understand and start from the same place as the evangelicals he’s discussing these issues with. There’s a level of authority there that I consciously gave up when I decided to declare myself a pro-choice, feminist, bisexual theologian. I can’t be trusted to be on the same page as the evangelicals anymore, despite us starting from the same book, from the same Scriptures, and from the same faith in a creator God who loves us.

This awareness of the communication gaps and the methods of communicating between the species has had an effect on how I live and communicate with humans. Don’t mistake me here, I’m not comparing humans to animals in a one to one ratio. But that learning and knowing and understanding carefully how people respond to each other and how things can go has made it easier for me to feel confident in my conversations and discussions.